Sharing Secrets
by themuse19
Summary: A companion piece to "Model Behavior". It takes place simultaneously starting with Chapter 71, and won't make any sense at all if you haven't read "Model Behavior". Originally a one-shot, now expanded.
1. Chapter 1

**This is a companion piece to _Model Behavior_. It probably won't make any sense at all unless you're reading the story. It happens simultaneously with chapter 71, so read that one first, please. **

**There's a different convention here. In this story, regular text is Bentley and Trevor and italics indicate material that is quoted or adapted from _Model Behavior._**

* * *

"Wow! That's impressive. Our boy's done well for himself," Trevor said happily.

Bentley frowned and lashed his tail. "He's not exactly 'our boy', you know, Trevor. You didn't have anything to do with this."

"Don't get your tail in a knot, old man. I know he isn't mine any more. You were always jealous of me. I remember how mad you were when he first brought me home."

"I was mad because he wanted to change my name to Crookshanks. And then he got that insufferable owl!"

"At least he didn't get a rat. Whatever happened to Hedwig, anyway?"

"Don't ask me. I haven't heard from her in years. We went home about six months ago, and she wasn't anywhere I could see. Maybe she got lost in the move."

"We can hope," Trevor sighed. "They moved again?"

"Of course! That's what they do. At least Blaine's stayed put for a while. I hate moving."

"I imagine so. Remember that time in Texas when he dropped you on the ground and the neighbor's dog ran off with you?"

"That was awful. That stupid girl, telling Blaine her dog came home with me, but never offering to give me back. And she kept calling me a puppet. I've never been so insulted in my life. As if I needed someone to move my mouth and talk for me."

"What did he do?"

"I guess he didn't want to get off on the wrong foot with the neighbors, because he **bought** me. He actually gave that moron his birthday money to get me back."

"Sounds like maybe she wasn't as stupid as you think she was. And Blaine must have really loved you if he sacrificed his birthday money."

"You have a point," Bentley purred smugly. "So, what have you been doing for the last few years?"

"Do you want to hear about Wes, or just Kurt?"

"Just Kurt. I'm not too interested in Wes."

"Good, because I don't have a lot to say about him."

"Did he mistreat you?" Bentley's hackles were up and his tail was lashing again.

"No. He just didn't love me the way Blaine loved us. He loved me, but not for me. He only loved me because I came from Blaine."

"Blaine is special. We were lucky. Most kids give up their stuffed animals before they hit puberty. So tell me about Kurt."

"He's wonderful, Bentley. When Wes passed me along to him, I was insulted at first. I mean - didn't anyone think I was good enough? First Blaine gives me away, and now Wes. But after a few days, I realized that Blaine was right to give me to Wes, and Wes was right about Kurt. He really needed me. He's the bravest person I've ever met. He willingly went back into a bad situation because he wanted to face his problems head-on. He was scared, but he did it anyway."

"Blaine talks about him constantly. Half the time, he's euphoric because Kurt is so wonderful and perfect, and the rest of the time he's depressed because he's afraid Kurt will never love him back."

"I don't think he has to worry about that," Trevor laughed. "Kurt's pretty smitten with Blaine. I don't get it, though. First he tried to deny his feelings, then he admitted them and tried to talk himself out of them, and now he's just dealing with them and hoping they'll go away soon." The bedroom door opened. "Oh, look. There they are. Maybe we'll get to do something interesting now. I'm tired of being cooped up in this bedroom."

"Shhhhh. I want to hear what they're saying."

_As Kurt was getting his clothing from the dresser, his eye fell on Trevor, who was sitting beside Bentley on the desk, looking for all the world as if they were deep in conversation. He nudged Blaine and pointed. "Those two look like they're sharing secrets, don't they?"_

"Bentley!" Trevor hissed frantically. "They know about us!"

"Hush! I'm trying to listen. Besides, how could they know?"

"_Oh, I hope not. Bentley's been my closest confidant since I was about three. My grandmother gave him to me. He's listened to lots of hopes and dreams and fears."_

"See. I told you they don't know anything. They're both completely oblivious. Ha! He said I was his closest confidant."

"I heard him. I thought you were trying to listen. Stop talking all the time."

"_The same grandmother that had the treasure box?"_

"_Yes, my mom's mom. Her name was Katie. Well, I guess it was probably Katherine, but Granddad called her 'Katie'. He made the treasure box for her by hand, and did all the carving himself. She gave it to my mom when she married my dad, and mom gave it to me. I wish you could see it. It's really beautiful. I guess I could bring it to work, but it's a little large to take on the subway and I wouldn't want anything to happen to it."_

"He still has the treasure box?"

"Are you kidding? He loves that box."

"Oh, my God! The decoration on the top! Has he realized it yet?"

"_Would it be a rule violation if you showed me a picture of it?"_

_Blaine thought for a moment. "I don't think so, but let me run it by Heidi first."_

"Obviously not, if he's planning to show it to Kurt."

"_Tell me about Trevor. Were you his original owner, or did you buy him for Wes?"_

"Shhhh. They're talking about me!" Trevor puffed up with pride.

"_He was mine. I bet you can guess what book I was reading when I got him. I was eight, and Mom and I were reading it together. Funny thing - even from the very first book, she said there was more to Snape than met the eye, and he would turn out to be a double agent. Anyway, I didn't take him to Dalton with me. I didn't take Bentley either, but I sure was glad when I discovered that Mom had packed him."_

Bentley stuck out his tongue. "He likes me better than you," he sing-songed. "I knew I was his favorite."

"He's just loved you **longer**. It doesn't mean he loves you **more**."

"_Your mom sounds like a very smart lady."_

"_She is. I hope you get to meet her someday. She watches the show, so she knows who you are. What was I saying?"_

"But I'm not the one he gave away."

"Hmph." Trevor's bottom lip trembled and a tear rolled down his face. "You're mean, Bentley."

Bentley shifted uncomfortably and gave the toad a lick on his forehead. "Oh, stop it, Trevor. He probably would have given me away instead, except that I was too ratty-looking. At least he got you when he was old enough to know how to take care of you properly. Now be quiet and listen."

"_How Wes ended up with Trevor."_

"_Right. When Wes was a freshman, he was very homesick, and I let him borrow Bentley for the first few nights. Every morning, Wes would show up at my door to return him, but every evening he'd be back, asking to borrow him for one more night. I finally decided I needed to do something if I was ever going to see Bentley again, so I had Mom send Trevor. Three or four weeks later, Wes had made friends and settled in, and he tried to give Trevor back, but I told him to hang on to him until someone else needed a little comfort. He swore up and down that he would find the perfect person for Trevor, someone who really deserved him. I guess he did."_

"Well, that's true. Kurt really loves me, and I'm very happy with him."

"_Well, he can go back home with you now," Kurt said briskly. "I'm sure he's missed you all this time."_

"Really? Really, Kurt? You don't want me, either? I can't believe this. Oh, well. At least I'll be back with Blaine, and you and I will be together again."

"Yeah, great," Bentley said, pretending to be disgusted.

_Blaine's face fell. "Okay," he said quietly. "Maybe I can find someone at the shelter who would like to have him, since you don't want him."_

"**The shelter**? Oh, come on. This really isn't fair." More tears rolled down Trevor's face, and even Bentley's eyes looked a little blurred.

"_Hey! I never said I didn't want him," Kurt protested. "I'm just trying to do the right thing here, even though I'll really miss him. He meant a lot to me because Wes gave him to me and he means even more because he was yours. He helped me get through some scary times, and I told him things I could never tell my dad or any of my friends, things I've only ever told you, in fact. If you're just going to give him away, then I rescind the offer." He picked up Trevor, wrapped him protectively in his arms and glared at Blaine. "We can buy some stuffed animals for the shelter if you want, but Trevor's staying with me."_

"Damn right, I'm staying with you!" Trevor said firmly, snuggling into Kurt's arms.

"_Aren't you blokes ready yet?" Annie's voice came through the bedroom door. "How long does it take to put on a pair of pajamas? We're getting ready to start the movie without you."_

"Who was that?" Bentley asked, hackles rising. "Are there women here? The only woman I know is Mom."

"That's just Annie. She's okay. Are they having a fight? Kurt looks angry."

"_Sorry, Annie," Kurt called back. "We got to talking about Dalton and our mutual friend. We'll be out in a minute." He grabbed his pajamas and turned to Blaine. "You can have the bathroom. I'll dress out here," he said coldly. "I'll probably finish before you, but warn me before you come out, okay?"_

_Blaine disappeared into the bathroom and shut the door._

"Yes, it looks like it. Blaine didn't look happy at all."

"What do we do, Bentley? I don't want them to be unhappy."

"Just wait, Trevor. Let's see if they work it out. If they're still mad when they go to sleep, we'll take care of it then."

_Kurt removed his shirt, and stood for a moment, lost in thought. He approached the bathroom door. "Blaine?" he called softly._

_Blaine threw open the door immediately, heedless of his current state of undress. Kurt's eyes darkened as he took in the gorgeous man standing in front of him. "I, uh ... I thought we would talk through the door," he breathed. "I didn't expect you to come out."_

"Ooh, look at his face. Kurt likes that," Trevor said happily. "Now he won't be mad."

"Blaine likes it, too. Look how big his eyes got," Bentley laughed.

_Blaine laughed and blushed. "I guess I'm losing my inhibitions around you. There's something about standing around in my underwear in a room full of people that completely destroys my sense of modesty. Besides, as you pointed out in the workroom, I'd have on much less than this if we went swimming. At least this time, we're equally naked." _

"_I'm sorry I got angry with you, Blaine. Although I didn't mean to, I think I hurt your feelings. I didn't mean to imply that I didn't want Trevor or didn't value him. He's very special to me, and that's why I thought I should return him to you."_

"See, Trevor. Kurt loves you," Bentley said softly.

"_He is special to me," Blaine said softly, "although he's no Bentley. That's why I wanted you to have him. I know it's silly, but it did hurt my feelings to think you didn't want to keep him, at least for now."_

"Blaine loves me, too," Trevor sighed, "but not as much as he loves you. 'He's no Bentley' indeed! It's okay, though. He **should **love you better."

"_As long as you don't think he'll miss Bentley too much," Kurt joked, "I'd be honored to have him."_

"The very idea! As if I'd miss you, you scruffy old toad."

"I missed you," Trevor said accusingly.

"_They had all day together, and maybe we can arrange a playdate for them later."_

"A playdate?" Bentley groused, tail lashing again. "What are we, five?"

"_Reality check, Blaine. You know they don't need a playdate, right?"_

"What does he mean by that? I don't think he's taking us very seriously, Trevor. You need to have a talk with your boy."

_Blaine stuck his lower lip out in a mock-pout. "Fine, spoil my fun. They don't need a playdate."_

"_After all, they're both adults," Kurt said with a giggle. "They can just go for coffee or something."_

"That's more like it," Bentley said with satisfaction. "Would you join me for coffee, Trevor?"

"I'd be delighted," Trevor replied grandly, although the effect was somewhat spoiled when he dissolved into giggles.

_Blaine rolled his eyes and looked at the ceiling as he did the math. "No, I don't think either of them is an adult yet, but you're right - they're too old for a playdate."_

"Funny how they always assume that we were born the day they got us. Could you not tell I've been an adult the entire time, Blaine? Do I look like a kitten to you?"

"Shhhhh!" Trevor hissed urgently. "I want to hear **them**. I can talk to you any time. Do you think they'll kiss?"

"If you want to hear them, **stop talking!**And why do you think they'll kiss? For some insane reason, Blaine wants Kurt to think he's straight, and kissing him would certainly let the proverbial cat out of the bag."

"Were you in a bag? What do you mean 'proverbial'? You know what - never mind. I want to see them kiss and make up. That's the expression, right? You're supposed to kiss when you make up after a fight."

Bentley rolled his eyes, but didn't say anything. "I forgot how silly that toad can be," he muttered to himself.

"_So are we good now? No hurt feelings?"_

"I heard that, Bentley, but I'm ignoring you."

"_No, we're good. I should apologize, too. I didn't tell you what I was thinking. I just shut down instead. Next time I'll communicate."_

"_I'll work on that, too." Kurt smiled and opened his arms in invitation. "How about a hug?"_

_Blaine stepped into the hug, closing his eyes and reveling in the skin-to-skin contact._

"Oh, he **really **likes that," Bentley chortled. "He's been dreaming about something like this for weeks."

"Kurt, too! Oh, he's so cute when he gets all red like that."

_Kurt gasped. Blaine was gently rubbing his back, making small circles with his fingertips. He tightened the hug briefly, then stepped away, face flaming, heart racing. He gave a shaky laugh. "The girls are gonna wonder what happened to us."_

"_Are you okay, Kurt?" Blaine asked._

"_Just embarrassed," Kurt laughed. "I sorta forgot we weren't dressed. At least you had pants on this time."_

"Why do they make such a big deal about clothing and skin and being dressed? I don't get it," Trevor complained.

"They don't have fur. You'd be more worried about it if you just had skin, like a **real** toad."

"I **am **a real toad!"

"_You still owe me for that hug. You promised I would get one later, and I never did."  
_

_Kurt stuck his tongue out. "Put a shirt on and go appease the girls before Annie comes back again. I'll be there as soon as I get changed."_

"I guess they aren't fighting any more," Trevor said happily after Kurt got his pajamas on and left the bedroom. "We won't have to work on them tonight. Why aren't they going out? It's obvious that they like each other, and they'd be great together."

"Obvious to everyone except them," Bentley snorted. "I think we need to give them a little push."

"The whisper thing? In his ear when he's asleep?" Trevor asked eagerly. "What do I say?"

"Something simple, and easy to remember. Haven't you done this before?"

"Yeah, but I used 'courage', just like you used to do when Blaine was scared. That doesn't really apply here."

Bentley sighed, almost a hiss, but secretly he was pleased that Trevor wanted his advice. "How about if we both say 'tell him'? That's simple, so they're more likely to retain it when they wake up, and it covers a lot."

"Brilliant!" Trevor agreed. "Communication is important. I hope this works. I want Kurt to be happy. Both of them, actually. I want both of them to be happy."

"Me, too," Bentley agreed fervently. "Me, too."


	2. Chapter 2

**This one takes place after chapter 80 of _Model Behavior_. **

* * *

"Bentley! What are you doing here?" Trevor exclaimed delightedly.

"Don't ask me. I think Blaine's lost his mind. He grabbed me out of bed and stuffed me in his bag this morning before he left for work."

Trevor giggled. "He sent Kurt the cutest e-mail last night. He pretended he was you, secretly writing to me while he was in the shower. Kurt showed it to me."

"Why did he do that?"

"Well," Trevor preened, "it was addressed to me, after all."

"Yeah, but it wasn't really for you. What makes you think anyone would write to you?"

"You're just jealous because you've never gotten an e-mail," Trevor teased. "Anyway, Kurt loved it."

"I don't know about you, but I'm tired of those two," Bentley groused, tail switching angrily.

"Don't get your whiskers in a bunch, old man," Trevor laughed. "And you might as well sheathe those claws while you're at it. You know you aren't gonna use them on anything."

"Hmph. What have you got to be so cheerful about, you stinky old toad? Did you give somebody warts?"

"That's an old wives' tale and you know it. And I don't stink. Kurt takes very good care of me, I'll have you know."

"That still doesn't give you the right to be so ridiculously happy, unless you know something I don't, which is highly unlikely." Bentley turned his back and feigned interest in his right front paw.

"I know one thing: we've got the whole day together, and I don't want to spend it fighting, so why don't you admit you're glad to see me and we can move on to more important stuff?"

"Yeah, but we don't get to go anywhere," whined Bentley. "Remember how it used to be? When Blaine was little, he took me everywhere."

"Yes, and when you got home, all you did was complain about how boring it had been in the car, or how you didn't like the beach or the woods or the museum."

"It _was _boring in the car. I couldn't see out at all, and half the time I had to ride on the floorboards because I fell off the seat and Mom wouldn't let him get out of his seatbelt to pick me up. I can't tell you how often I almost got motion sickness."

Trevor looked puzzled. "Can we throw up? I didn't think we could do that."

"Of course not," Bentley scoffed, "but it still isn't any fun being nauseated for hours at a time. And don't get me started about the beach! All that grit! I thought I would never be clean again. A hairball is bad enough, but try having a bunch of sand in your stomach."

"I guess I wouldn't enjoy that, either," Trevor admitted.

"When he was about five, we were coming back from somewhere, and it was dark out. We were sunburned and tired and we just wanted to go to sleep, but Dad thought if we slept in the car, we wouldn't sleep when we got home, so every time we dozed off, Dad woke us up again. Well, you can imagine, Blaine didn't like that one little bit. He got grumpier and grumpier, and finally he threw me across the car. Let me tell you, I was livid. I couldn't believe he had done that to me. I hissed at him, and lashed my tail, and his eyes got really big. Then Mom said something about how I wasn't going to like it if he was mean to me, and that's all it took to set him off. He sobbed and sobbed so they could barely understand him. _Bentley is mad at me and he'll never speak to me again. I was mean to Bentley and he won't like me anymore._ First Dad tried to tell him I wasn't mad, and then he tried to tell Blaine that I couldn't be mad at him because I wasn't real."

"That's terrible!" breathed Trevor. "How could he be so cruel?"

"I know. He didn't mean to be; he just didn't understand. Anyway, Mom just let him handle it until he finally said that if Blaine didn't want to listen, it was his choice to be unhappy the rest of the way home. I couldn't see her, but I know Mom rolled her eyes like she does when he says something stupid. You remember, right?" Trevor nodded. "Then she got Blaine's attention, and when he calmed down a little, she told him that he needed to apologize to me, and that if I accepted his apology, everything would be all right. Well, he did, and I did, and then we finally got to sleep the rest of the way home."

"Was Dad right? Were you guys up all night after that?"

"Of course not. They carried us into the bedroom, and Blaine didn't even let out a peep. After that, at least Dad let him sleep in the car when he wanted to, thank goodness. I don't ever want to go through that again. All that crying and there was nothing I could do to comfort him. I felt terrible."

"It sounds like you never had any fun on trips. Was there anything you enjoyed?"

"The theatre. Movies. Concerts. Anything where we could sit in the air conditioning and stay clean." Bentley smiled fondly. "For his sixth birthday, we went to a college production of _The Ice Queen_. After it was over, the actor who played Nick the Troll came out and sang _Happy Birthday_ to him. He was so excited. That was back when he still went to public school and he had five or six friends along. I think it was the first time any of them had ever experienced live theatre. They enjoyed it, but it went way beyond that for Blaine. He was completely captivated by the idea of putting on a costume and becoming someone else."

"I guess that was before my time," Trevor sighed. "I never really got to go anywhere with him. It sounds like it was fun."

"I remember the first musical we saw. It was just a local production of _The Music Man_, and it wasn't even that well done, but Blaine was fascinated. I'm pretty sure he was too young to follow the plot, but he loved the music. The set was very minimalistic, and you had to use your imagination, but that just made it better for him. I think it was the first time he ever heard barbershop. One of the main characters is a little boy, and all the way home he was telling Mom and Dad that he could have done a better job. He probably could have, too."

"Oh, yeah! When he got home, he kept singing that song. What was it?"

"It was called _The Wells Fargo Wagon_. Remember how he did different voices for each of the characters? And then he carried that clarinet around for a week to see if Professor Harold Hill's Think System of learning to play an instrument would really work." Bentley sighed. "It was so easy to make him happy back then. We'd talk and snuggle, and I'd tell him a story and purr him to sleep. Now all he wants is Kurt, but he refuses to do anything about it. I'm tired of listening to him moon over how talented Kurt is, and how beautiful Kurt is, and compassionate, and smart and creative and perfect, and I don't know what all."

"Blaine's right," Trevor said loyally. "Kurt is all those things."

"Maybe so. Okay," he conceded when he saw Trevor's frown, "yes, he is all those things, but that's not my point. My point is that he should quit moping around and do something about it. How hard can it be? Four words: Kurt, I like you. That's all it would take, right? Kurt feels the same way, so it's not like Blaine needs to woo him or anything."

"Yeah, but you don't get it, Bentley. Blaine wants to woo Kurt. He wants to whisper sweet nothings in his ear, and surprise him with little gifts. He wants to see Kurt's eyes light up when he walks into a room, and know that the smile on Kurt's face is just for him, and he's the one that put it there. He wants to gaze into his eyes and fall into their depths and never come back up."

Bentley snorted. "And how could you possibly know that?" he asked sarcastically, twisting his neck to wash the itchy spot between his shoulder blades. "You don't even live with him any more."

"Because that's what Kurt wants," Trevor said quietly. "He wants to make Blaine feel special. He wants to know Blaine's heart beats a little faster when he touches his hand. He wants to spend cold winter evenings cuddling together in front of a blazing fire, talking for hours about everything and nothing. He wants to give Blaine things that no one else can give him. And most of all, he wants Blaine to be happy, and he's willing to do whatever it takes to make that happen."

"So why doesn't he do it? It would be so much simpler if they would just say what's on their minds. Judging from what he told Wes, Kurt knows he's gay, everything is out in the open, and no one was upset, so what's the big deal?" Bentley held his tail down with one paw so he could wash the tip.

"Kurt's on the show," Trevor patiently explained. "If everyone knew Blaine liked him best, it wouldn't be fair to all the other contestants. It would be a conflict ... a conflict of ... well, a conflict of something. Kurt told me about it, back when he was trying to figure out how he felt about Blaine. He says even if he does have feelings for Blaine, he has to wait until the show is over, and he has to see if Blaine gets over the guy he likes."

"Well, that's just dumb! Kurt _is_ the guy he likes."

"You know that, and I know that, but Kurt doesn't know that. When he looks in the mirror, he doesn't see the same guy Blaine sees. Kurt sees a man who's not very muscular, a guy who knows how to be fashionable but not sexy. He sees a person with a weird voice and a lot of flaws. He sees himself as smart and funny and a good friend, but not as someone who will ever have romance in his life. He hopes he will, but he has a hard time believing it."

"When Blaine looks at Kurt, he sees perfection. He sees everything he's always wanted," Bentley sighed, "but he's not sure he'll ever get it. I just don't understand this waiting thing. Why doesn't he just go for it?"

"That's the difference between cats and toads," Trevor stated sagely.

"I have no idea what you're talking about, but whatever it is, I'm sure there are a million differences between cats and toads. For one thing cats are intelligent. And graceful. And beautiful."

If Trevor noticed the implied insults, he didn't say so. "Cats go after what they want. They stalk and run and pounce, and about nine times out of ten, they miss. Toads understand waiting. We sit quietly in one spot, pretending to be a rock, until the time is right. Then, when you least expect it ..." Bentley jumped as a long, sticky tongue hit him on the nose. "... we strike."

"Don't ever do that again!" he hissed furiously. "That was just nasty! Yuck! Toad slobber. I'd bite you, but I'm sure you'd taste terrible." He licked his paw and swiped at his face, lips curling in disgust.

"That's what you get. Next time, don't be so rude to me," Trevor laughed smugly. "Now, what are we gonna do with our boys?"

"Yours needs to realize that he is attractive and desirable, and that he's the one Blaine wants."

"He also needs to stop focusing on trying to be sexy. It worries me, and it makes me a little uncomfortable. We're supposed to be retired before they get to this stage."

"Would you rather be in a box in the attic, waiting for the grandchildren to show up? Not me!" Bentley retorted. "And why does that worry you?"

"Because this shouldn't be all about sex. He shouldn't be thinking that he has to be sexy to attract a man, and I'm scared that if he starts acting all suggestive and flirty with everyone, someone might get the wrong idea about him. He's spending too much time thinking about it. He practices in the mirror sometimes when no one is around. I don't like it."

"I wouldn't worry about it. It's probably just a phase. Maybe he's never had the opportunity to flirt before. Is he taking forever to get ready in the morning?"

"No more so than usual. Why?"

"Blaine is driving me crazy. He's always been nicely dressed, but he would just pick an outfit, put it on, and go to work. Now he changes three or four times before he makes it out the door. He's even divided his closet into sections: clothes Kurt's seen and liked, clothes he hasn't seen, and clothes that he wasn't too impressed with. And you should see him with that shirt Kurt gave him. Sometimes after supper, he'll put it on and just sit there with a goofy smile on his face, stroking the fabric with his fingertips." Bentley shook his head. "I don't know what's gotten into that boy."

"He's in love," Trevor laughed. "They both are. So what are you planning to work on with yours?"

"I guess I'll just keep reassuring him that Kurt does like him and they'll be together eventually, and stop pushing him to make a move, since you think they need to wait."

"I'm positive. If Kurt knew how Blaine felt about him, he'd distance himself. He thought about it when he found out Blaine was gay."

"Oh, no! He can't do that. Blaine would be devastated."

"I know. You should be proud of me. I did the whisper thing all night, and the next day he figured it out."

"What did you say?"

"I just kept repeating 'Blaine already knew' and I guess it was enough."

"I think yours might be a little smarter than mine."

Trevor smiled smugly. "I think so, too, at least about some things." He sat for a moment, pensive. "Hey, Bentley. I was wondering ..."

"What?"

"If this works out for them, will Kurt still be my boy?"

"What do you mean?"

"If he gets his 'happily ever after', will he still need me?"

Bentley gently licked Trevor's forehead. "They'll always need us. Maybe not as much, but there's no such thing as 'happily ever after'. The best you can hope for is 'happy most of the time'. And besides, doesn't he tell you about the good stuff, too?"

The little toad brightened. "Yeah, he does. And lately, all the good stuff's been about Blaine."

"Good," Bentley purred. "Let's keep it that way."


	3. Chapter 3

**This occurs after Chapter 89 of **_**Model Behavior.**_** There's a photo that reminds me of Bentley in this chapter on my Facebook page (look for Riannon Anderson). **

* * *

"Bentley! What are you doing here?" Trevor squealed.

Bentley's tail lashed. "Do you have to be so loud?" he groused. "I'm not deaf, but I will be if you keep that up. And I'm not here by choice, that's for sure."

"Yeah, yeah, yeah. You're just as happy to see me as I am to see you. It wouldn't hurt you to show a little affection once in a while, you know."

Bentley narrowed his eyes and frowned. "I'm _not _here by choice," he insisted. "When do we have a choice about anything? Did you choose to be given away to Wes and Kurt? Did Kurt even ask you if you wanted to go to New York? He could decide at any minute to stick you in a box and not look at you again for years and you wouldn't be able to do a thing about it."

Trevor tried to hide a smile. "Actually, Kurt did ask me if I wanted to go to New York, but even if he hadn't, I would have been glad to go. I'm having so much fun!"

"How can you possibly be having fun?" Bentley demanded. "You haven't gotten to go anywhere or do anything. All you've seen is the inside of this room."

"Well, for one thing, I've gotten to see Blaine again. _And _a certain grumpy feline who shall remain nameless, and who's looking rather dapper today. Did Blaine buy you a present? What's the occasion?"

Bentley preened and gazed at his reflection in the mirror across from the bed. "I do look rather nice, don't I? I think this turquoise one is my favorite."

"Your favorite? How many do you have?"

Rather belatedly, Bentley remembered Kurt's admonition to be considerate of Trevor's feelings. "Well, uh ... I couldn't decide which color I liked best, so Kurt made me three."

"Kurt." Trevor was trying hard not to be jealous. "My Kurt." He wasn't succeeding. "_My_ Kurt made _you _three bow ties." His lower lip crept out into a pout. "My Kurt, who's never made me even one bow tie, made you three of them. In different colors."

"Hey, come on Trevor. Don't be mad." Bentley licked the little toad gently across the forehead. "You know he didn't do it for me."

"Excuse me? I don't see anyone else wearing a brand new silk bow tie. If he didn't do it for you, who did he do it for? And why were you spending time with him anyway?"

"He did it for Blaine, of course, you silly old toad. He was sewing up the hole in my neck and he had to put in a patch. He thought it looked bad, so he made a bow tie to cover it up."

"You had a hole in your neck?" Trevor's jealousy was completely gone, replaced by concern for his friend. "Did it hurt? Were you scared? Did all your stuffing leak out?"

Bentley blinked at the rush of words. "Yes, I had a big hole. I wasn't scared. Well, maybe a little. I've been sewn up before, but only by Mom. I don't know Kurt all that well, so I was a little nervous."

"You don't have to be nervous about Kurt," Trevor said comfortingly. "He's sweet and very gentle. He wouldn't hurt you."

"I know that _now_," Bentley said haughtily, "but I didn't know that this morning. Blaine didn't even tell me where we were going. He just stuffed me in a bag and said we were off to the emergency room to get stitches."

"How many stitches did you get?"

"Twenty-seven, and I held perfectly still the entire time, even when Kurt squeezed my nose so hard I couldn't breathe."

"Wow!" Trevor was impressed. "You were really brave."

"I'm a cat," Bentley said calmly. "Cats are always brave. Kurt said he was proud of me," he added offhandedly.

"I don't know about that," Trevor snorted. "You don't hear people refer to _scaredy toads_."

"Well, _this _cat is always brave. It doesn't matter what the rest of the world does."

"Kurt and Blaine are the most courageous people I know."

"Kurt and Blaine are the _only_ people you know," Bentley said with some asperity.

"I wish they would get together soon," Trevor sighed. "They're so perfect for each other."

"Me, too!" Bentley agreed fervently. "I'm so tired of this. It's bad enough in the daytime, listening to Blaine go on and on about how wonderful Kurt is, and sweet and talented and incredibly sexy, but the nights are about to drive me crazy."

"What do you mean?"

"He dreams about Kurt at least once or twice a week. He moans and whimpers and thrashes around, and sometimes I end up on the floor. Half the time he wakes up and decides he needs a shower in the middle of the night, and that's bad enough because he turns the lights on and makes noise and sings and keeps me awake, but believe me, you don't want to know what he does the other half of the time. I thought we were through with this business. It's like he's fourteen all over again."

"At least he lives alone," Trevor chuckled. "Thank goodness Marisol's a heavy sleeper."

"Yours too? He looks so cool, so untouchable."

"He might be untouched, but he's far from untouchable. He's just been waiting for the right guy to come along, and the wait is finally over. You should see the letter he wrote to Blaine. It's supposed to be in appreciation for all his help, but it's pretty bold. I think Blaine's gonna like it."

"If he ever sees it," snorted Bentley.

"Why wouldn't he see it?"

"I don't know. Blaine's been writing letters to Kurt for weeks, but he just stuffs them in that treasure box of his. I don't think he intends to give them to Kurt at all."

"Well, he sent Kurt one, at least. There was a letter in with the present. Kurt didn't let me see it, but he got all flustered about it, and he's read it about twenty times already."

"Was it Kurt's birthday?"

"No, it was just a present. Your boy came into the apartment when the designers were all gone, gave me a pat and a hug, set the box on the bed and told me to guard it until mine got back."

"Hmph. They aren't exactly boys any more, you know. They're all grown up and thinking about adult relationships."

"They'll always be boys to me, no matter how old they are and what they get up to. Speaking of getting up to things, do you remember when he read that book about Harriet Tubman and the Underground Railroad and decided to try to dig a tunnel from our house to the park at the end of the block?"

Bentley shook his head. "He could have been killed if that thing had caved in on him. I still don't know what he was thinking. The Underground Railroad wasn't literally underground."

"You're just mad because I got to help and you didn't. Cats aren't any good at digging. I, on the other hand, am a spadefoot toad and I'm an excellent excavator."

"Huh! The last thing I wanted was to spend Saturday afternoon out in the sun digging in the dirt. But why did he decide to start it in Mom's roses?"

"He said the earth was nice and soft there, and it was easier to dig. Anyway, he was perfectly safe. He dug for several hours and only got about a foot down. It's hard work digging a tunnel with a trowel and your hands, and he kept getting distracted by all the june bugs and worms he dug up. I knew Mom would catch him before he got too far. She always checked her roses for Black Spot on Saturday."

"You're just lucky she did. She's an unusual person. Everywhere we lived, she planted roses, even though she knew we'd be leaving sooner or later and she wouldn't get to enjoy them. Blaine asked her about it once, and she said it was like leaving a present for the next occupants." They sat in silence for a while, each lost in his own memories. "Do you remember when Blaine got his first bow tie?" Bentley asked.

"Oh, yeah! Grandmother gave him that outfit for his birthday when he was ten. He liked the pants and the shirt, but he wasn't too sure about the sweater vest."

"Remember how he didn't want to wear the tie at first, but Mom made him put it on so she could take a picture?"

"And once he had it on, he refused to take it off again? He was so cute. I remember he needed a haircut, so his curls were all over the place. That was before he discovered gel." Trevor smiled at the memory. "And now you have your first bow tie, too. I bet you won't be taking yours off, either."

"Probably not, since it fastens in the back," Bentley said dryly. "Kurt said he didn't want it coming untied all the time so he sewed through the knot."

"Velcro?"

Bentley turned his back to Trevor. "I'm not sure. What does it look like?"

"Ooooh!" Trevor cooed. "It has a heart-shaped button. That's so sweet. I like this fabric, too. It must be the one Ernesto gave him."

Bentley's hackles rose and his tail began to lash again. "Who is Ernesto, and why is he giving our boy presents?" he spat.

"_Our _boy? Are we sharing now?"

"He belongs to Blaine, so that makes him mine, too. Just answer the question."

"I've never met him, but I heard Kurt and Marisol talking about it. He's one of the designers, but he and Kurt are just friends so you can put those talons away before you hurt yourself. I'm keeping an eye on things, and Kurt's made up his mind. He's going to tell Blaine how he feels as soon as the competition is over. I'm glad. Now I can finally stop whispering to him all night and get some sleep."

"Now that's good news," Bentley purred. "Too bad we won't be there to see it."

"I don't mind. Kurt will tell me all about it afterwards. He always tells me everything. I just wish he'd listen a little better. I tried to tell him about that Jen girl, but he didn't get it."

"What about her?"

"She came in when Kurt wasn't here and took his CD."

"The one Blaine made for him?" Bentley was not pleased.

"Yeah, but then she put it back about ten minutes later. She was all giggly about it, too. I think she's up to something. It might be something good, though. Remember when Blaine slept over and they both fell asleep? Jen is the one who covered Kurt up, and she was just going to put me in his arms when Blaine rolled over and snuggled up with him. I wish we could sleep together like that every night, all four of us."

"Only if they get a bigger bed. I don't care how much they want to be together; sharing a twin bed won't work out very well. Someone will be sleeping on the floor, and you can bet it will be one of us. I hate falling out of bed. The first time it happened was about a week after he got me. Blaine was still half asleep when he tried to pick me up. He lost his balance and the next thing I knew, I was being squashed by a three-year-old. He went to tell Mom about it, and she patted his head in the dark and said we could sleep on a quilt beside her bed. You should have heard the commotion when she woke up in the morning and discovered he had given himself a bloody nose."

"Was she mad because it stained the carpet?"

"Of course not. She was upset because she hadn't taken good care of her little boy. She felt terrible, but Blaine didn't care a bit. She fixed us pancakes and then she made us a kitty house and we watched TV together and she told us stories."

"A kitty house? What's that?"

"Mom would lie on her side on the couch and curl her legs around to make a wall. Blaine and I would sit behind her legs so we wouldn't fall off and that was our kitty house. It felt safe. Don't tell Blaine, but I think Mom liked it because she could doze off and know that Blaine wasn't getting into anything."

Trevor gave a happy sigh. "I love to hear about when Blaine was little. I wish I could have been there, but we had some good times too. Remember when we'd all snuggle up with Mom and they'd take turns reading _Harry Potter_ aloud to us?"

"Yeah, and Blaine could never figure out how that stupid owl ended up falling off the couch every single time," Bentley snickered.

"That was you?" Trevor exclaimed incredulously. "I thought she was just clumsy."

Bentley studiously examined his paw before giving it a lick and smoothing his whiskers. "Maybe. Maybe not. I'll never tell." He displayed his fangs in an enormous yawn. "I'm exhausted."

"You've had a stressful day," Trevor sympathized, "what with stitches and all." He snuggled up to his friend and nuzzled him gently. "Why don't we take a little nap?"

Bentley turned around twice and lay down, his chin across Trevor's back. "Toads make the best pillows," he murmured happily as he drifted off to sleep.


	4. Chapter 4

**This chapter should be read after Chapter 96 of **_**Model Behavior**_**.**

* * *

"Bentley, guess what! Guess what! You'll never guess, so I'll tell you. Kurt ...", Trevor shrieked.

"I already know, you silly old toad. Kurt meet Carole. But your slimy nose is all out of joint because you were stuck in here."

"Okay, first of all, my nose isn't slimy," Trevor replied haughtily. "And second of all, that isn't it."

"You met Carole? At breakfast, Kurt said you didn't and you were miffed about it. Oh, Mom was asking about you, by the way."

"Mom?" Trevor was confused.

"Don't tell me you've forgotten Mom! I knew toads didn't have much brain power, but you can't have forgotten Mom."

"No, I remember. I'm just wondering if she's still my mom. Now that I belong to Kurt, I mean."

The tip of Bentley's tail twitched as he considered. "I never thought of that. Aren't you still Blaine's, too?"

"I don't know. Can we belong to two people? Are you Kurt's?"

"Of course I don't belong to Kurt!" Bentley said scornfully. "You should know that."

"Why not? Don't you like him?"

"Of course I like him, but Kurt doesn't love me, so I don't belong to him. You can't belong to someone unless you snuggle with him and comfort him when he's sad and celebrate with him when he's happy. He has to tell you things he doesn't share with anyone else. That's why you belong to Kurt."

"I don't think I belong to Blaine any more, then. He said he was gonna take me to the shelter if Kurt didn't want me." Trevor wasn't entirely successful at keeping the hurt out of his voice.

"You know he didn't mean that," Bentley said gently, leaning over to lick Trevor's nose. "He was just upset because he thought Kurt was rejecting you."

"Hey!" the little toad spluttered. "Stop that! Yuck!"

"I'm just checking. I guess you're right. Your nose isn't slimy."

"Well, it is now," Trevor retorted. He leaned down and wiped his face on the comforter.

"Oooh, I'm telling. You're gonna be in trouble," Bentley sing-songed.

"You better not," Trevor threatened. "There are a few things that Blaine wouldn't be too happy about. Remember that time you almost got caught looking at kitty porn? That's way worse than wiping cat slobber on the covers."

Bentley had the grace to look embarrassed. "I thought I should do some research in case Blaine had questions."

"Yeah, right," Trevor said sarcastically. "I'm sure that was a big help. Just what ten-year-old Blaine needed to know. And what if Mom had found out? Blaine would have gotten the blame, for sure."

Bentley sighed and rolled his eyes. "Okay, changing the subject. What's your big news?"

"Oh, Bentley, you'll never, never guess. Never in a million years!"

"Yes, you said that," Bentley said impatiently. "If you really have something to share, which I'm beginning to doubt, ..."

"Kurt knows!" The words burst from Trevor's mouth as he hopped in happy circles around Bentley. "He knows! I'm so excited. Oooh, he figured it out before Blaine did. My boy's smarter than your boy."

"What do you mean _he knows_? What does he know?" Bentley demanded. "And he is _not_ smarter than Blaine, no matter what he figured out."

"He knows that Blaine's in love with him," Trevor said triumphantly, "and unless there's something Blaine isn't telling you, he figured it out before Blaine did."

"Hmph. Blaine tells me everything, so I guess you're right," Bentley pouted. "But that doesn't mean Kurt's smarter. It just means that Blaine has a harder time hiding his feelings. So was Kurt excited? What tipped him off?"

"Kurt was beyond excited. It took hours for him to get to sleep after they got home from karaoke. He wasn't making a whole lot of sense, if you want to know the truth. He kept saying something about some guy being a girl, and 'I thought it was Matt, but it wasn't' over and over, and then he started worrying about how he was going to keep Blaine from realizing that he knows. And then he would squeeze me so hard I couldn't breathe and sort of squeal 'It's me, it's me, it's me!' and then it would start all over again." Trevor gazed at Bentley nervously. "Blaine does still love him, right? Kurt's not mistaken?"

Bentley chuckled softly. "Kurt's not mistaken. Blaine is so head-over-heels for Kurt that he's turning backflips."

"Really?" Trevor asked excitedly. "I want to see that!"

"No, not really. Honestly, Trevor. It's just an expression. But he's crazy about Kurt. He didn't even try to pretend they were just friends in front of Mom and Dad. Oh, did you hear that the parents met?"

"Yeah, Kurt was pretty miffed that he was left out, but at the same time, he's really nervous about Blaine's mom and dad. I guess he's worried that they might not like him."

"They talked about him last night while Blaine was in the shower. Blaine gave them some videos to watch so they wouldn't be bored while he cleaned up. They were in the other room, but I could still hear them."

"So they saw Kurt? What did they say?"

"Well ..." While Trevor was a blurter who wanted nothing more than to share his excitement, Bentley was an expert at doling out information a little at a time in order to remain the center of attention for as long as possible. "Let me see if I can remember what they said."

Trevor puffed himself up like ... well, a toad trying to intimidate a large dog. "Bentley! You tell me what they said right now!"

Bentley nonchalantly curled around and extended his right hind leg so he could wash it. "I don't know if I should," he purred silkily. "That might be betraying a confidence. After all, you don't belong to Blaine any more."

Trevor narrowed his eyes. "You better tell me, you mangy old feline. Or else!"

"Or else what?" Bentley replied scornfully. "What could you possibly do about it?"

"I won't tell you my other secret."

"Ha! You're lying through your teeth. You don't have another secret. You already told me everything, whether I wanted to hear it or not."

Trevor snorted. "A lot you know. Toads don't have teeth. So there."

"You still already told me," Bentley insisted.

"Maybe I did and maybe I didn't. Maybe I know a lot of things."

"And maybe you're just full of hot air. If you know something, prove it. And un-puff. I'm not going to eat you and you look ridiculous all swollen up like that."

Trevor emptied his air sacs with a huff and turned his back. "Uh uh. No. No way. Not one word until I find out what they said about my Kurt."

Bentley turned around several times and kneaded the covers, waiting for a response from Trevor. When it became clear that Trevor wasn't going to give in, Bentley sighed. "The videos were of Kurt and Blaine singing."

"Together or separately?" Trevor asked eagerly, all animosity forgotten. He snuggled into Bentley's side.

"Ugh! You're freezing." Bentley groused.

Trevor smiled secretly to himself when he saw Bentley squeeze his eyes shut with pleasure and shift his hindquarters to bring them closer together. "I can't help it; toads are coldblooded. We must have had this discussion a thousand times by now. Let's talk about our boys."

"The first song was together. Dad said he thought they liked each other, and Mom agreed. She said she was glad because she didn't want Blaine to be unhappy." Bentley tried to contain it, but the combination of snuggling with Trevor and the subject matter was just too much for him, and a low rumble began to emanate from his chest.

"Ooh, that's your really-happy purr," Trevor said with a grin. "They said some nice things about Kurt, didn't they?"

"It's called a chest purr, you knucklehead, and before you ask, the other one is called a head purr. Humans have the same thing with their singing voices."

"Whatever. I don't care what you call them. I just want to know what they said about Kurt."

"Dad said that it showed character for him to bring you to New York. And Mom said that their voices went well together." Bentley pretended to think for a moment. "Oh, and they both said they were hoping Kurt could move to New York. Mom said it was wonderful how happy Blaine seemed, and Dad said he was really glad Blaine had started performing again." He paused again until Trevor prodded him. "I can't think if you're bumping me with that thick skull of yours," Bentley complained, reaching over to give the little toad an affectionate lick on the forehead. "Dad said Kurt had an amazing voice, and Mom said she had never heard anything like it. And they both can't wait to meet him, so he doesn't have anything to worry about. They like him already."

Trevor heaved a happy sigh. "I knew they would. Anyone with any sense at all would love him, and Mom and Dad are very smart. Do you remember the first time Blaine went off to summer camp? He was so sure he was a big boy and he would be fine without us along."

"Yeah, but Mom knew better. She didn't argue with him, but when she packed his trunk, she wrote letters and hid them in his clothes. And then she tucked me inside his pillow case, so he would have me but no one would know."

"She put treats in the trunk, too. Did the surprises make him feel better?"

Bentley smiled at the memory. "They did. Each one was something to share, so it helped him make friends. That first night, I had to stay in the pillowcase until lights out, but after that he kept me on the bed. Some of the other boys had brought friends along, but I was the only cat."

"I wish I had gotten to go," Trevor said wistfully. "It sounds like fun."

"No, you don't. It was pretty awful. Blaine had a blast, but I couldn't wait to get home. They didn't have air conditioning and Blaine was too busy to spend any time with me during the day. That was bad enough, but the worst thing was that some of the older boys convinced his whole cabin that the showers had been known to electrocute people, so none of them got anywhere near a bar of soap for two weeks. Thank goodness they went swimming every day or it would have been unbearable."

Trevor chuckled. "Okay, maybe you're right. I'm glad Blaine got to go, though. He had his first guitar lesson at that camp. Remember? As soon as he came home, he asked for a guitar for Christmas."

Bentley placed a heavy paw across Trevor's neck and began to lick the side of his head. "Hold still!" he ordered, when Trevor began to squirm. "Thinking about those stinky boys makes me want to wash something."

"Well don't take it out on me," Trevor said, still trying to evade the sandpaper tongue. "I'm perfectly clean."

Bentley ran his nose along the little toad's side, snuffling gently. "You do smell good," he admitted.

"So, do you want to know my other secret?" Trevor asked, trying to distract Bentley from his apparent mission to remove a layer of skin.

"Oh, I suppose so," Bentley replied nonchalantly. "I'm sure it's nothing good, but you might as well tell me."

"I know what Kurt is getting Blaine for his birthday."

"That's your big secret? That's not much."

"Fine. I won't tell you."

Bentley was torn. The little toad was being quite insufferable and needed to be taken down a peg or two, and the best way to do that was to refuse listen, but like most cats, he couldn't stand not knowing something. Eventually curiosity got the better of him. "I suppose it will hurt your little warty feelings if I don't hear you out. What is Kurt getting Blaine for his birthday?"

"Time!" Trevor shouted triumphantly.

"Time? What does that mean?"

"Kurt is buying Blaine some time."

"You must have heard wrong. People can't buy time. He must be getting Blaine a watch, or maybe a new alarm clock."

"Yes, they can," Trevor insisted. "I remember once when Wes had a history paper due and he hadn't finished. He said Old Grouchface Simpkins would fail him and he had to buy some time. He must have more money than Kurt does, though, because he bought a whole day and Kurt says he can only afford an hour."

"How do you know he bought a whole day?"

"Because he spent all day in his room instead of going to class, and if anyone came around he started coughing and sneezing and talking funny. But after school, he went to Warbler practice and he was just fine, so maybe it wasn't a whole day, but it was more than an hour."

"Where is he planning to buy this time?"

"Dad must know where the time shop is. I mean Kurt's dad, not Blaine's dad. This is confusing."

"Just call them by their first names," Bentley said impatiently. "Tamera and Carole, too."

"I don't know," Trevor worried. "That seems disrespectful."

"First of all, they aren't gonna hear you, and second of all, Blaine calls Burt and Carole by their names, so I don't see why we can't."

"Okay," Trevor said doubtfully, "if you say so. Well, anyway, Kurt said Burt was gonna take care of it, and he was all excited. Only he can't decide if he should give it to Blaine on his birthday, or do it earlier."

"That's gonna be kind of difficult, since Blaine wouldn't tell him what day it was. They were talking about it that time he brought me to visit you, and Kurt wanted to know, but Blaine said he was a 'man of mystery' and wouldn't tell."

"Well, Kurt knows. I don't know how he found out, but he has it right. See, I told you my boy was smarter," Trevor gloated.

"Hmph. Maybe he is. You won't believe what Blaine said to me." Bentley's tail began to lash and he sat up. "I'm still angry."

"What? What did he say?"

"He said I didn't smell good because I didn't smell like Kurt."

"Don't be offended. He didn't say you smelled bad. Besides, you like the way Kurt smells."

"How can you say that? I don't even know what Kurt smells like."

Trevor giggled. "You said I smelled nice. That's Kurt you're smelling. And I bet he would think you smell wonderful, because you, my friend, smell exactly like Blaine."

* * *

"Hey, Bentley?" Trevor said after a while.

"What?"

"If our boys get married, what will we be?"

"What?"

"Their parents will be in-laws, but what will we be?"

Bentley shook his head."What we've always been, you silly old toad. Nothing they do can change that," he said easily.

Trevor frowned. "But what are we?" he asked plaintively.

"Best friends, of course," Bentley replied, closing his eyes for a little nap. "Now be quiet. I'm tired of all this talking."

Trevor smiled and snuggled back down next to him. "Oh," he said happily. "I like that."


	5. Chapter 5

**This chapter should be read after Chapter 108 of _Model Behavior_. **

* * *

Blaine glanced around the living room. It felt strange being in the apartment while the designers were in the workroom. "Come on, Trevor," he said softly. "Let's get you back home." He made his way into the bedroom, smiling at the sight of the cat sitting proudly on Kurt's pillow. "Hey Bentley," he said, picking him up for a quick hug. "I hope you did as good a job taking care of Kurt as Trevor did of me." He put Bentley back on the pillow, arranging him so that there was room for Trevor between his forelegs. He extracted Trevor from the tote bag and snuggled him in under Bentley's chin. "There," he said with satisfaction, "you guys can have a little chat, as Heidi says, and I'll be back to get Bentley later tonight. And don't worry - I won't forget this time. I missed you too much to ever let that happen again."

"He'd better not forget me," Bentley complained as soon as they were alone. "Don't get so close. Haven't you ever heard of personal space?"

Trevor closed his eyes and sighed. "Just once, it would be really nice if you didn't pretend you hated me."

"I don't hate you!" Bentley protested.

"I know you don't," Trevor replied, hopping off the pillow and turning his back, "but you always act like you can't stand to be around me, and even though I know you don't mean it, it still hurts my feelings. We don't get to spend much time together, and when this is over, we might not ever see each other again. Why can't we just enjoy what we have?"

"First of all, that's just stupid, you silly old toad. How could we not see each other again? Blaine and Kurt are meant to be together, and they will be, so what are you worried about?"

"Yeah, but once they have each other to sleep with, they won't need us any more. What if they stick us in a box in the closet or something, or worse, give us away? We could end up on opposite sides of the country."

"Look," Bentley said firmly, leaving his spot on the pillow to curl himself around his friend, "Kurt would never allow that to happen and neither would Blaine, but we can start whispering to them at night if it will make you feel any better. Even if they don't want to cuddle with us all the time, they'll still keep us on the bed or the dresser so we'll be there if we're needed."

"What will they need us for if they have each other?" Trevor sniffled.

"They'll always need us. If Kurt has to go out of town for a night or two, Blaine will insist that you go along to keep him company, or maybe I'll go with Kurt and you'll stay with Blaine. They'll even cuddle with us ahead of time so we'll smell like home. And later on, when they have a little boy or girl," Bentley continued in the same soothing tones Tamera used to tell bedtime stories when Blaine was little, "we'll be there to see it. The baby will have her own special friend, but we'll be there to give advice and lend a hand."

Trevor sighed again, but it was a happy sigh this time. He snuggled in a little closer. "That sounds nice. I've never been around a baby. Was Blaine cute when he was little?"

"He was adorable." Bentley couldn't help the purr that rumbled up from his chest at the thought of three-year-old Blaine. "He had all these curls, and no matter how often Mom combed his hair, it looked messy five minutes later. You should have heard him, Trevor. Even when he was little, he spoke in complete sentences with correct grammar, no baby talk. There were a couple of words he had trouble with, though. When we went to the park, he wanted to ride on the 'merr-go-y-round'. Mom would say 'merry-go-round' and Blaine would frown at her and say 'That's what I said. Merr-go-y-round' and she would just smile. It was funny because he didn't have trouble with 'spaghetti' at all."

"Eating it?"

"No, pronouncing it. He didn't have trouble eating it either, unless you want to count making a huge mess. Mom never should have bought him that _Lady and the Tramp_ video. He always ended up with sauce all over his face from pushing the meatballs around, and the worst part was that he wanted me to be Lady. Can you imagine? Me playing a dog?" Bentley demanded in offended tones. "No cat would ever push food around with his nose. It's disgusting."

"That movie has cats in it, doesn't it?"

"Yeah, but the cats are the bad guys and their song is really annoying. Give me _The Lion King_ any day."

"I wonder why there aren't any Disney movies with toads in them," Trevor mused. "It seems like there should be."

"What about _The Princess and the Frog_?"

Trevor snorted in derision. "There's a big difference between frogs and toads."

"Okay, how about _The Adventures of Ichabod and Mr. Toad_? That one has a toad, and they even made a ride out of it."

"Are you sure?" Trevor asked doubtfully. "I've never heard of it."

"That doesn't mean it doesn't exist. I had forgotten about it until just now, but Blaine took me on the ride when we went to Disneyland. It's called _Mr. Toad's Wild Ride_, but it was a kids' ride so it was pretty tame if you ask me."

"Cool! Maybe I'll get to go on it one day."

"Don't hold your breath. I'm sure Blaine prefers more grownup rides now."

"Okay, first of all, it doesn't matter what Blaine thinks because I belong to Kurt. Second, remember that little boy or girl you were talking about? I'm sure Kurt and Blaine will take their kids to Disneyland and ride all the rides with them."

"Even if they do, they won't take you along," Bentley pointed out. "Kurt is much too old to take his special friend along on an amusement park ride, and any children they have will take their own friends."

"I guess you're right," Trevor conceded reluctantly. "Oh, well. Did you have fun staying with Kurt?"

"I suppose," Bentley said, the tip of his tail twitching in irritation. "That e-mail he sent Blaine made me mad, though. It made me look bad, like I was a petulant child who was pouting because his dad was a little late picking him up from school. I knew Blaine didn't forget about me."

"And we all know you never pout or act like a child," Trevor replied, sarcasm dripping from every word. "I thought it was funny and very clever. And I hate to break this to you, but he did forget you."

"Well it's not like he left me out in the yard or on the school bus. He knew where I was and that I was safe. Besides, he had a good excuse. I would never have gotten upset over a little thing like that."

"Uh huh," Trevor replied. "That must have been some other cat who was pacing around and whining all evening."

"I was worried about him," Bentley said loftily. "This is a big city, you know. Anything could have happened. He could have been lying unconscious in the hospital or in some dark alley. He could have been dead for all we knew. If you loved him as much as I do, you would have been worried too."

"Hmph. Maybe I just have more confidence in his ability to take care of himself. He's not a baby any more, you know."

"I'm not stupid," Bentley hissed. "I know he's not a baby, but I still worry. Let's talk about something else."

Trevor shrugged. "Okay. Did Kurt snuggle you? He gives the best snuggles. Blaine is good, too, and it was fun going to the office and meeting Heidi, but I'm glad to be back home with my Kurt."

Bentley's jaw dropped and and he stared at Trevor in disbelief. "Blaine took you to the office? And he didn't hide you in a tote bag?"

Trevor couldn't help preening a little. "Kurt said Heidi wanted to meet me. I was in a bag, but that was so I would stay clean, not so no one would see me." Trevor waited patiently for Bentley to continue the conversation, but Bentley studiously ignored him, twisting around instead to wash his nether regions. "Aren't you going to ask me what happened?" he prompted after several minutes of silence.

"Why would I do that? I don't care about the office or Heidi."

"Yes, you do. Yes, you do. Yes, you do," chanted Trevor. "You don't fool me. You're dying to hear all about it. Cats can't stand it when someone knows something they don't."

"Hmph! You think you know so much. How many cats have you met?"

"I was trying to be polite," Trevor replied, drawing himself up to his full height, "but if you insist - _you_ can't stand it when someone knows something you don't. Remember when you unwrapped the Christmas presents so you could see what Blaine was getting? And then you didn't even wrap them back, so he got blamed for it."

"It wasn't my fault the tape wouldn't stick," Bentley protested guiltily. "Besides, I told him it was me."

"Oh, yeah, right. That was a big help. What was he supposed to do? Tell Mom and Dad that his stuffed cat had opened all the presents? I'm sure they would have believed that."

"We're getting off the subject here," Bentley said with a frown.

"What subject is that?" Trevor asked sweetly.

Bentley narrowed his eyes and his tail lashed back and forth. "You know what subject. You're going to be insufferable until I listen to you brag about your trip to the office, so just hurry up and get it over with."

"Heidi is really pretty," Trevor said.

"Well, duh. She's a model, isn't she? Besides, I already knew that. Blaine and I have been watching the show for a long time now."

"She's even prettier in person. And she smells nice. Kind of like Kurt, but not."

"Oh, that's articulate. I know exactly how she smells now."

"You don't need to be sarcastic," Trevor said reproachfully. "I'm always nice when you're bragging about stuff."

Bentley studied his paw and gave it a lick. "Okay, I'm listening. What did she say?"

"She said I was adorable and called me _niedliche kleine Kröte_," Trevor proclaimed proudly. "She said it means _cute little toad_. And then after Blaine left ..."

"What do you mean _Blaine left_?" Bentley demanded. "Where did Blaine go?"

"Heidi said we were having a private conversation so Blaine went back to his desk. After he left, she told me her son would love to have a toad and maybe she should just sneak me home in her briefcase but I think she was just kidding. She said Kurt was lucky to have such a wonderful friend and that I should take good care of him, and I should tell him to be good to you and Blaine."

"She mentioned me? Why didn't you say so?" Bentley's eyes squeezed shut in pleasure.

"I just did, Silly. Anyway, she said I should make sure that Kurt never, ever gives up on his dreams because he deserves all the happiness in the world."

"He does," Bentley agreed, "and so does Blaine. We'll just have to make sure they get what they deserve together so we can be happy, too. I hate being around Blaine when he's sick. I can't imagine being with him if he were heartbroken. That would be ten times worse."

"He's not _that_ bad when he's sick," Trevor objected. "He spent most of the time sleeping. The most annoying part was that his phone kept going off to remind him of stuff."

"Yeah, but he wants to cuddle when he's sick, and if he's running a fever it gets too hot."

"You're never happy, are you?" Trevor scolded. "When I cuddle up to you, you tell me I'm too cold. You shouldn't worry about yourself so much. You should concentrate on making Blaine feel better. I'm glad I was there when he needed me."

"I'm glad you were, too," Bentley said, giving Trevor an affectionate nudge. "Blaine had someone to comfort him and I didn't have to do any of the work."

* * *

Many thanks to claudiavonberckefeldt, who provided the German translation.


End file.
